NLP Reframing - Content Reframe and Context Reframe

In NLP, there are two basic forms of reframes - content (or meaning) reframe and context reframe.

Content Reframe:

Questions:

What else could this mean?In what way, could this be positive?

The content or meaning of a situation is determined by what you choose to focus on. And therefore, the same situation can have good or bad or different meanings!

A content reframe is very useful for statements such as: ‘I get annoyed when my mother keeps murmuring.’ As we can find out that the person has taken the situation and given it a specific meaning -- which may or may not be true - and in so doing limits one's resourcefulness and possible courses of action. To reframe this situation, remember the NLP presupposition ‘Every behaviour has a positive intention’ and ask questions such as:

Questions:

What other meanings could my mother’s behaviour have?For what purpose does my mother do it?

Context Reframe:

Question:

In what context (or situations), can this have value or be useful?

Almost all behaviours are useful in some context.

A context reframe is useful for statements such as: ‘I am too demanding.’ In this type of situation, your client has assumed that this type of behaviour has no value. Your job is to discover the value or usefulness by asking your client ‘When or where would this behaviour be useful or viewed as a resource?’

We can use Content Reframe & Context Reframe simultaneously. These techniques can highly improve our thinking!